Project Overview:

Food systems are undergoing dramatic changes worldwide, becoming increasingly globalized, concentrated, industrialized, and science and capital-intensive. Consumer preferences also change as a result of various factors, especially rapid urbanization and increases in income levels. 

Although these developments provide immense opportunities, they can also give rise to challenges such as growing malnutrition, increased incidence of food safety issues and transboundary animal and plant disease outbreaks and significant levels of food loss and waste. 

No region is free from these challenges and the BSEC region aims to address them through a regional approach focusing on the development of sustainable food systems that:

• Ensure food security and provide healthy, balanced and nutritious diets, to contribute to health for all;

• Provide decent livelihoods and jobs for all food system actors, notably smallholders, women and youth, contribute to economic growth throughout the agri-food sector (from production to distribution) and to the food trade balance;

• Manage, preserve / regenerate ecosystems and natural resource, and limit their effects on climate;

• Contribute to inclusive governance, stability and equitable distribution of power among territories so all can achieve the other goals.

Under the project, a Regional Cooperation Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (BSEC-CSFS) has been established with a clear mandate, relevant institutional framework and technical capacity to enhance the sustainability of the whole food value chain from farm to fork among BSEC member states. The BSEC-CSFS will provide BSEC member states with advice, guidance and information in the areas of sustainable food systems.

Project results:

• BSEC Centre for Sustainable Food Systems established and integrated in networks of similar organizations working at national, regional or global levels;

• Current State of Sustainable Food Systems in the BSEC region report prepared and disseminated;

• Awareness and exchange of information and experiences of gender-responsive Sustainable Food Systems among BSEC member states strengthened;

• Tools, information and suitable methodology on gender-responsive Sustainable Food Systems developed and technical capacity of BSEC member states strengthened.

By promoting awareness of the sustainable food systems approach in the BSEC region, the project will contribute to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), each of which relies to some degree on healthier, sustainable and equitable food systems.

The BSEC-CSFS is relevant to the forthcoming UN Food Systems Summit (New York, September 2021) as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

The BSEC-CSFS will contribute to supporting countries to countries to recover from the short and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on food and nutrition security and to assist with rebuilding BSEC economies.

The project is implemented in close collaboration with the BSEC Permanent International Secretariat (BSEC PERMIS).